The Estavillo Family

It's Official!

2010-05-20T16:57:00.000-07:00

Summer is here!

Wordless Wednesday! (NOT)

2010-04-14T22:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I was starting to feel like I was getting back into the swing of the blog.
Today I was going to do my first "Wordless Wednesday" since my return to the cyberworld...

But alas.....
The words.....
TAXES....TAXES...TAXES!

Maybe next week! :(

Easter 2010

2010-04-12T00:28:00.001-07:00

Spring Break Project

2010-04-12T00:02:00.001-07:00

During Spring Break Brian decided to have a "project" with the girls. They had a great time...it took several days to complete...but the results and the time they spent together were totally worth the effort!

Tessa Turns 7!

2010-04-11T22:51:00.000-07:00

Every birthday it never ceases to amaze me at how quickly the time is going by with my "babies". It is a true reminder to make the most out of each day--even though it's sometimes hard to remember with all of the hubub of the daily grind.

Age 2

Age 4

Age 5
This year Tessa has been in countdown for several months! As it got closer to the day, there were questions of "mommy, 7 years ago on this day before I was born where were you, what were you doing, what were you thinking", etc, etc. She definately took me back to that time with all of her questions, and I think we both had a great time with it!

When the day finally arrived, we had an "almost" sleepover with several of her friends. Taryn had two friends come over too. They helped with manicures, pedicures and facials. They all wore pj's and slippers, brought their favorite stuffed animal and blankies or pillows. We made a huge bed on the floor and had movies too! One of the friends who hadn't been over before said "this is the best party I've ever been to!" awwww....so sweet! I do think they all had a great time!

Brian and Connor were the only two boys...but they weren't going to be left out of the fun!

Opening Gifts

Brian tells spooky stories. Watch out for "Creepy Bubba"!

Facials

Dancing

Manicures

They each got a pair of old fashioned "rag rollers" to wear for the night and take home. They looked so cute!

Arizona Aloha Festival

2010-03-20T00:16:00.000-07:00

Ok...hopefully none of you are calling 911 right now because you are so shocked that I'm posting that you've gone into cardiac arrest! NO...SERIOUSLY!

I was so embarassed when I realized how long it had been since I'd posted, that I almost decided to just give it up. But alas, I move beyond embarassment and start now! To backtrack at this point would be too much, so I will start today and will try to at least post on the important/fun moments of our days. So anybody out there, that hasn't given up on me completely...I thank you, and move on!

This past weekend we had a great opportunity to enjoy some time with family!
Saturday was the Arizona Aloha Festival at Tempe Town Lake.
Brian and the girls making a lei
We met my big brother Ken and sis-n-law Tina at the festival. We had a great time enjoying the tastes and sounds of the islands! Two years ago we joined their family in Hawaii for a great vacation. This wasn't quite the same...but it'll due until we make it back.

As we were listening to one of the performers, Tessa looked up at me and said (with a bit of disgust in her voice) "Mom, this just makes me wish we were really in Hawaii!" This is the child who about once a month reminds me that she wants to go back to Hawaii, or that she wishes we could live there! Yeah....I know, me too!

2009-06-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

Ok....anybody who knows me well knows I go in "spurts" with things. Well, lately has been a dry "spurt" for blogging! (OBVIOUSLY!)

I started a post a few days ago...and of course pictures were uploaded on different computers, time crunch, etc. So I never finished it.

I will...eventually! In the meantime, we are still all alive and well. Busy, busy, as usual!

Will catch up more soon (really, I will!).
Love to all!
Susan

Free to the first 5!

2009-04-28T13:48:00.001-07:00

Ok...I've had my webstore up and running for over a week, and I'm starting to get a bit discouraged! I've had quite a few looks at things, but no sales! So, here's the deal...the first 5 sales of $10 or more will get a "freebie"! That's right, I will throw in a free hair clip! At checkout, just type "blog" into the area that allows you to put in a message (assuming there is one...I haven't checked out yet) and I will make sure you get a "free gift"! You can always click on the button to the right (which shows new things when I post them), or you can click here.

Praying for Stellan

2009-04-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

For those of you that may have been following Stellan's medical condition through my blog, and those of you who have yet to click on the link...please do so now! Stellan will be undergoing heart surgery tonight if things get worse, early in the morning if they can regulate his heart enough. Millions of prayers got him through gestation and the first 5 months of his life...he needs more now! Please click on the link above or to the right. If you don't know the whole story, you can find it on MacMama's blog.

My latest venture...

2009-04-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

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I've been working on THIS for a while, but I think I'm finally up and running (sort of). The sooner I get to "networking", the sooner I may actually get some sales. I learned about Etsy several months ago when I found links on other blogs. I thought about it for a while, and decided that although my real dream would be to open a knitting shop someday, with beautiful yarns, a comfy environment and a great coffee shop--with the economy the way it is, now doesn't seem to be the time. So...this is my current solution to a creative outlet that might bring in some cash. I currently have hair accessories and a "make to order" baby sweater set listed, but I will also be adding Swarovski crystal embellished flip flops and more knitted items---and whatever other "crafty" things I come up with. It will be added to and updated regularly. Please take a look. If you would like to add a gallery link to your blog (like mine, or a smaller version), or would like some business cards to hand out to people you might bump into who would be interested, let me know. I would be happy to help you share MY business!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-15T21:02:00.000-07:00

I was planning to post a "Wordless Wednesday" tonight...
using this photo of Tiger Paws curled up in Taryn's comforter while we were changing her sheets...

And this picture of Tessa that Taryn took Easter morning, that I had some fun with...

Until...
Tonight at 5:10...I realized that I had meant to get to the post office to mail our taxes earlier in the afternoon and hadn't! So, quickly I grabbed our taxes, jumped in the car and headed to Power Postal (not the post office...this is closer and might be open past 5)! I got there and thought I was in luck, they were open until 6!! Then the girl told me that their mail had gone out for the last time of the day already! I would have to go to the post office. On my way there, I'm running ideas through my head and I realize that the lobby is always open and the automated postage station would be open. Yea! Until...I get there and there are signs posted EVERYWHERE stating that if it's past 5:00, it can't be guaranteed to meet the IRS midnight requirement. So what was I supposed to do?....
-------
------------
Apparently my only option was to head to the only drop off station in the valley open until midnight...I had to drive to a drop off near the airport.
This was the line to the line to the drop off---yes, that's right!

Once I made it through the line to turn in, this was one of the lines to drop off. It was actually really organized and moved pretty fast--At 6:30 pm. I just saw the news---the lines are CRAZY at 9:00.

So that's how I spent an unexpected hour and a half of my evening...but at least I know it got there and we won't be receiving a special "fine".

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T21:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to all!
We had a very busy Easter weekend. On Saturday, we woke up to a rainstorm! It wasn't the best timing...but since we haven't had rain for a while, it was welcomed. However, it did put a bit of a damper on our Easter festivities!!
We attended the Annual Las Sendas Easter egg hunt. Usually there is a park that is filled with jumpers, a petting zoo, pony rides, hot air balloon rides, and lots of games and prizes. However, this year with the DOWNPOUR, the egg hunt was held in one of the banquet rooms. Once that was over, we did go to ride the ponies and pet the animals...that was it, and we were all wet and cold.
No matter how wet and cold, Tessa was thrilled to get to hold a wet bunny. Her cousin Christina took her own sweater off, to cover the wet bunny, "because she was shivering."
Later Saturday evening, our niece Christina was baptised and recieved her first communion.

Relay Results! (Really, this time!)

2009-04-08T23:25:00.000-07:00

Last night I started to post, and realized that I hadn't edited my pictures yet and they were too large to upload. I was WAY too tire, so I edited them this morning. Here's the scoop on Relay For Life!

Saturday was a really exciting day! It was very fun, but emotional as well!! The day kicked off with a "survivor's" speech. Then the Relay began. The first lap was the survivor's walk. All of the people in the purple shirts are cancer survivors. After that lap, each team followed holding their banner.

There were 108 Teams total. The current numbers are $131,000 raised!!! (but money is still coming in and being tallied).
The Dream Team consisted of over 70 6th grade students and parents. Our original goal was $2000. We are well over $6000!!! In henna tattoos and hair accessory/jewelry sales at the event alone, we raised just over $1500! These kids did a great job...as parents we were so proud to see what they were capable of (and they had a BLAST!)

At 9pm the stadium lights went out and the luminaries were lit on the bleechers. The luminaries were purchased in honor of someone who had lost their battle. They spelled CURE on the bleechers and lined the outside of the track. There was then a lap of silence while everyone carried their own candle and following a lap with bagpipes! It was a very special moment.

We even had our own fireworks display!
After the fireworks, the lights came back on...the music cranked up and rang throughout the night to keep everybody enthused! A few crashed for a few minutes (myself and Taryn included), but for the most part everybody was up until sunrise and the end of the event at 6:30!

Overall, it was an amazing experience! I would be very pleased if Taryn decided to participate again next year! Thanks to all of you who helped to support Taryn and this great cause!!! There are very few who haven't been effected by cancer in some way...it was very rewarding to be able to do something to help.

Rallying for Relay For Life!

2009-04-01T08:13:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Taryn came home from school and said that she wanted to participate in the Relay For Life. (An event sponsored by the American Cancer Society) This event has been held at our local high school for many years, but this is the first time that there would be a sixth grade team! This event starts at 1pm and the teams take turns walking laps until 6am! There are a lot of special activites planned, including a "survivor's lap" and many other things to make it a lot of fun for the kids.

I was really proud of Taryn for wanting to participate without any push from us. She also said she wanted to walk in Memory of her cousin Addison and our dear friend Joan. when Taryn was two, her cousin Addison died from a brain tumor at the age of 3. Although Taryn's memory of Addie is limited, she has kept her close to her heart. Two years ago, the two of us did a "Locks of Love" haircut in her memory. When Taryn was 8, our friend Joan passed from Leukemia--just a few short months after the birth of her daughter Alex. This Taryn does remember well. She is also aware that her Kindergarten teacher Jane (my ex-colleague) is a breast cancer survivor.

What she was less aware of, is how much our family has been affected by cancer. Two of her great-grandmothers died from cancer, her great Aunt Edna was taken by breast cancer and her Great Uncle Glenn and Great Aunt Jessie have been victorious over their battles with cancer for several decades! She now walks in memory of those losses as well as the victories! If you would like to support Taryn's efforts to raise money for cancer research, please CLICK HERE!

Two weeks ago, the Dream Team had a cookie bake day. They made 493 cookies, to sell for $1 each. They were sold at recess at school and sold out before all the kids even got to have recess! It was a great success!!!

Taryn's team is called the Dream Team, and is now up to 71 team members! The team is so large that when you log onto the website there are actually Dream Team 1-5! So far they have raised over $5000!!! Go KIDS!!!

On Saturday our team will also be doing many more things to raise money. They are going to do temporary tatoos and henna tattoos, sale signed sports memorabilia, handmade jewelry and Taryn and I made floral clips decorated with Swarovski crystals to sell as well. Proceeds from all sales will go to the Relay For Life!

We are really excited about this event! If anybody is around East Mesa on Saturday, please stop by Red Mountain High School to participate in the fun! Opening ceremonies start at 1:00 and "Survivor's Lap" is at 1:30, if anybody would like to participate (you don't have to be part of a team). Thanks so much for all of your support!!!

Tessa's 6th Birthday!

2009-03-29T21:29:00.001-07:00

Unbelievably, my baby turned 6 on Friday! Where does the time go???!!!
We had a small party at Peter Piper Pizza with a few family friends, and friends from school. It was a great evening!

Friday morning, before school!

Wordless Wednesday (a day late)

2009-03-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

Spring Break Craft Day

2009-03-20T08:08:00.001-07:00

After a day of cleaning their rooms...we decided to have a "craft" day.
We made "play skirts". Taryn has done some practice sewing, but this was her first real clothing lesson! She learned some basic skills (a seam, elastic casing and hem). Tessa learned to put elastic in a waist (with some help!) I think they turned out supercute!
We also made several hair accessories.
A fun, relaxing day!!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

Does Spring Break really mean we have to do "Spring Cleaning"?

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-11T07:40:00.001-07:00

I've been bad at keeping updated the past few weeks. One of the blogs I follow does "Wordless Wednesday". I thought I would give that a try. Here are a few of my favorite new photos.

A Day At The Arboretum

2009-02-22T19:08:00.001-08:00

Last month, my family decided that with six siblings and tons of grandkids and great grandkids we needed to start planning family gatherings on a regular basis. But rather than bombarding one poor family, we decided we should pick a meeting place where we can all enjoy some of the joys that Arizona has to offer. This month we chose the Boyce Thompson Arboretum which is nestled in the Superiour Mountains. A beautiful place ! Some of us took the guided tour about the edible and medicinal plants of the desert, and some took a "self guided" tour through the many trails of the arboretum! We were even blessed with witnessing a dogfight between a hawk and a golden eagle! (apparently the eagle was flying through the hawks territory...so he wanted him to leave!)

And since Grandpa's 80th birthday is coming up in a few weeks, we decided to celebrate that while we were there!

On our guided tour, Brian picked me a few flowers and insisted that I wear them (even though you are not supposed to pick the flowers!)

Climbing trees was a highlight for all the kids! (along with crossing the creek --and getting a bit wet before the hike!)

The kids instantly gravitated this big old tree! It was a perfect climbing tree!!!
I can't tell you how many times the three younger girls were "rescued", only to turn around and go back up!

It was a great day spent with family!

Tooth #2!

2009-02-16T21:47:00.000-08:00

Well, Tessa was so excited by losing her first tooth...and the tooth fairy, that she couldn't wait to lose the next one! It was wiggley...but after the first tooth fell out, she definately started working the second one like crazy! This afternoon, Brian pulled it out for her too! (She wanted him to do it the day after she lost the first one--but it wasn't near ready!)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T10:21:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!! I didn't send out Valentine's cards this year...but much love to all!

Tessa Loses Her First Tooth!

2009-02-13T07:13:00.000-08:00

About a month ago, Taryn lost her last baby tooth...well now Tessa has lost her first! She was sooooo excited! It has been getting wiggley, but last night when Brian got home from work she showed him how loose it was and he said it was ready to come out! He tied on a piece of dental floss, gave it a small tug and out it came!! She was thrilled...and oh, so cute!

My Best Buy Experience!

2009-02-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

Ok...so this post is not my usual cutesy, "here's some pictures of the kids" posting. It's a little bit of a rant that I feel compelled to share with everybody who will listen!

About a week ago my vacuum cleaner quit working. It was still running, but it wouldn't suck anything up. After talking to Brian, we decided to fix it as an "extra" if it didn't cost a lot. But, since it wasn't a great vacuum anyway...we decided to go for the "good" one. The Dyson! So I did a bunch of online research to find out which one would best meet our needs (I really didn't know they made so many). After I figured out which one I wanted to get...I started doing online price shopping so I would know where to get the best price. Of all the places I looked, Best Buy had the best price by $83! So, always wanting to give the little Mom & Pop shops a chance over the big stores, when I got up the next morning I called the Sew & Vac that was going to fix the old one to check their price too. They couldn't touch it. So, I head off to Best Buy!

I walk in...no wandering around this time. I know exactly what I am there for! They have a whole aisle end full of them.....but this can't be right...the price that's posted is the same price it was at all the other stores I chose not to go to! So I put one in my cart and decided there is either a mistake, or I have lost my mind in what I saw on the computer the night before (not entirely impossible...but I didn't think that was the case THIS TIME). The woman in the appliance department was busy with somebody else so I wait...I would get the better price if I had to show her the online ad myself! As soon as she was done with the other customer she says, "did you have a question"? I tell her I have a question about the price. She says, "do you want to do a price match"? I tell her that I had been online the night before and the price online was not the same as the price in the store. She says, "oh yeah, just go up to the front to a register and tell them you want to "price match" our website." Like this is not uncommon and happens all the time!

What????!!! You have got to be kidding me! They don't have the same price in the store as they do on their website?? This is ridiculous! So I take it to the front, tell the guy I want to price match their website. He looks up the price and gives the vacuum to me at that price!

The moral of the story: Best Buy will rip you off...unless you've done your homework. Never make a major purchase there without checking their prices online first!

There....I'm done!

Our Latest Pets

2009-02-05T07:46:00.001-08:00

Our latest pets were a gift from Aunt Julie. They are called Triops or "sea monsters" (not to be confused with "sea monkeys"!) They come with their own little tank and all the things they will need including food. First you set up the tank, then add purified water and sprinkle a mixture of soil and eggs on the top of the water.

Within two days, the eggs have hatched and there are lots of little "swimmers" in the tank! At first I thought we were going to be overrun with the little critters, until I read that there were other "critters" in with the eggs to serve as a food source for them.

This is one after 2 weeks.

Last week, I decided they needed a "prettier" and larger tank. So I got them this nice new set up at Michael's. (same place the kit came from).

They should live about 8 weeks. They lay eggs before they hatch. Once they die, you let the tank dry out completely, add water and the whole cycle should start again. Very easy "pets" and the girls have had a great time watching them (so have I!)
For more info about them go to www.mytriops.com

Proud of our Team!

2009-02-03T07:03:00.000-08:00

Well, obviously the superbowl didn't quite go as we had wished! But, considering the Cardinal's past record and the fact that they had never even made it close to the Super Bowl, we are proud of their accomplishment. The spirit of the city was everywhere, and it was great to see the team supported so greatly.

We had a party here at our house, complete with bouncer to keep the kiddos entertained! Here are a few pics.

Go Cardinals! Part II

2009-02-01T07:27:00.000-08:00

Here in Arizona we are all super excited about the Cardinals first trip to the superbowl! We know the Steelers are great (Bob, Donna, Matt, & Jodi), but it's the Cardinals turn!!

Just in case you missed it last time...

Wacky Hair Day!

2009-01-30T07:14:00.001-08:00

Realistically, this could be any given day! But in this case, it was planned. Every year at school they do a "wacky hair day" and the kids get to do crazy stuff to their hair. They love it!!

Aaahh, getting ready for Tax Season!

2009-01-27T20:39:00.000-08:00

Every year (at least for the past 3 years, since Brian has been an independent contractor, i.e. "self-employed" and everything is a write off) I have sworn to myself that next year I would be more organized throughout the year so things aren't so crazy when it's time to get everything together. Well, this year we added in a Neat Receipt--which is great, but very time consuming. And...I don't really know what happened, but here I am AGAIN!

So after a day of this....

I am in great need of an evening of this....

And maybe even a glass of this....

Thats better! Now...where's the chocolate?

Go Cardinals!

2009-01-18T19:12:00.001-08:00

My Dad, the "Rock Star"!

2009-01-18T16:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went to see my Dad's set up at the Gila County Gem and Mineral Show. I haven't been to one of the shows since I was a small child. The girls were very excited to see everything and added many new specimens to their collections. Grandpa was thrilled that so many of his kids and grandkids were able to come this year!

This is Dad's Meteorite Collection, that was set up for display!

Partners in crime--The Rhodes Brothers-Raymond and Fred

Grandpa's Future Rock Hounds!

Why we live in Arizona . . .

2009-01-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

Today is a perfect example of why we Phoenicians choose to tolerate what could be viewed as "unbearable" heat during our mid-summer months. While most of the country is bearing down these past few days for well below zero temperatures. . . we are enjoying a beautifully, sunny day with temperatures reaching 77 degrees! It almost feels shameful to say it out loud, knowing what many of you are experiencing right now! I guess it's all a matter of which extreme you prefer. I will take 115 over -22 any day! If this post finds you in such weather, hope you are settled in for a cozy few days!

Tessa's Favorite Christmas Present!

2009-01-14T23:06:00.000-08:00

Anybody who's been around my girls much, knows they love to sing and dance (and of course flip their bodies about in ways we adults only wish we could). For Christmas Tessa got an IPOD shuffle. I drug my feet about allowing Taryn to have one...I didn't want to have one of those kids, who was plugged in all the time and never heard what was going on around her. Well...of course being the second child, I caved much sooner for Tessa. But, music makes their brains grow and develop right?! (no there is no classical music on it)

Needless to say, Tessa loves her IPOD, and if she doesn't answer when I talk to her or call her, I better check for earphones! :)

Down With Mother's Guilt

2009-01-14T22:09:00.000-08:00

As a mom of 2, and prior teacher of many...I have often said, "as a parent, you can always find something to feel guilty about!" I try to let this guilt go, but am not always successful. I guess a part of me feels like if you don't have ANY guilt, you just don't care. But, guilt about silly things, is really our way of stressing ourselves out more than necessary! Yes, eventually Tessa will fully learn to tie her shoes...and eventually Taryn will know her times tables without having to think about it. (If not, she at least knows how to figure out the answer). My children are happy, healthy, they love each other and they know without a doubt that they are loved! We are far from perfect parents, but we ARE doing a good job!!

This is a posting that I just had to share! This is the blog of MckMama. She has shared her heart and faith through raising 4 very young children and the journey of her past pregnancy when she was told her unborn child had a heart defect and would not live. He surprised his doctors and is healthy and well (despite a recent bout with RSV). MckMama's candor and honesty about life's struggles and the faith she gains from them, are motivational and encouraging. Here is her take on Mother's Guilt.

http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2009/01/down-with-mothers-guilt.html

Praying for Abby

2009-01-13T07:43:00.001-08:00

I have added a new button on the side of my blog. Please click on it to find out more!

A Day In The Snow!

2009-01-11T21:27:00.000-08:00

Taryn Turns 12!!

2009-01-08T07:34:00.001-08:00

As hard as it is to believe, our baby turned 12! Tuesday was her official birthday but, this past weekend we took a trip up to the snow (I'll post pics of that later), there we celebrated Taryn's 12th birthday. She and I made a cake, then she frosted it and let Tessa and their friend Hannah help put the sprinkles on it. The two little girls, dumped 3 full containers of sprinkles on one little cake! It was quite funny!

New Years Celebration!

2009-01-01T07:26:00.001-08:00

Taryn is awesome BECAUSE I SAID SO !!!

2008-12-31T09:00:00.000-08:00

well Taryn is awesome because yesterday at gymnastics (her last day in reck)she got her round off backhand spring back tuck all put together without stopping for the first time ! Also on jan 6,2009 (her b-day) she starts team gymnastics ,where when your good enough get to compete all over the country ! but other than that she always awesome !!

so bye !!

this post was made by Taryn Estavillo

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T07:57:00.001-08:00

I know this is a few hours early...but we'll be heading off to the snow in the morning so I wanted to make sure and wish everyone a healthy and happy New Year!
Love to all!

glitter-graphics.com

Christmas Slide Show

2008-12-30T23:43:00.001-08:00

Well, I attempted to create a slide show. It did work---kind of! In my next posting you will see some wierd http:?? Then below that click on view all images. If you click on "original size" you can see the complete slide show. (At least I think so!) If anybody has used slide.com and knows what I did wrong (Kim?), please give me a quick lesson!

2008-12-30T23:38:00.000-08:00

http://widget-be.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=3386706919785224894&site=widget-be.slide.com" style="width:400px;height:320px" name="flashticker" align="middle">

Catching up!

2008-12-30T07:57:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of catching up to do for the past month!

December 13th-14th we had our annual Rhodes Family Christmas party. Brian and I hosted it this year (for our first time--go figure, nobody ever wanted to drive to California, Maryland, Ohio or Oregon for a weekend party!). Since I was busy with hostessing duties, I got very few photos. I have had many family members send me photos that I will at some point upload into a slide show for all to see!

Brian got us a few early Christmas presents the week before Christmas--Thank you Circuit City!
Including a new laptop and a new Cannon Rebel camera (both of which I am still learning to use).

I did decide yesterday that I would at least try to add pictures from Christmas into a slide show. And then work backward from there. As I added them, I realized that if the pictures weren't named, Christmas 2008 21, or whatever number the picture was, posted underneath them as the slide show played. NOT CUTE! So I need to go back and rename all the pictures, then try it again.

We did have a great Christmas! We enjoyed the company of so many friends and family members over the past few weeks! It has really been a celebration of the season! And I promise I will post photos soon.

This Thursday and Friday we are going to take a trip up north to the snow and have an early Birthday celebration for Taryn! (Her birthday is the 6th). We try to make it up there once a year and we always have a great time!

Love to all and have a safe and happy New Years Eve!

The Girls Finally See Santa!

2008-12-23T11:59:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we finally made it to the mall to see Santa! We usually go see him, but the girls usually write him a letter way before Christmas as well. Not this year! So I figured we better get there, or he'd have no idea what they wanted for Christmas! Of course the line took about 2 hours, but they did well and we were able to finish up a little shopping while we were there.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Taryn's Performance At the Mall

2008-12-17T13:53:00.001-08:00

Today Taryn's 6th grade orchestra group had a field trip to the mall! They performed in one of the open common areas for about 1/2 an hour, then got to spend an hour shopping and having lunch. I met them there as a chapparone and took Taryn and two friends around the mall after the performance.

They had a great time!

This is Taryn with her cousin Katie.
(Taryn plays the viola and Katie plays the violin).

Check this out Moms!

2008-12-16T07:38:00.001-08:00

This is a great song that all moms can appreciate!
I'm sure we would all agree there are days where we feel like we do nothing but try to keep little people safe and on task. It can be soooo exhausting at times!

Check it out!

http://vimeo.com/1509073

WoooHooo! Tessa Got Her Cartwheel

2008-12-08T19:43:00.000-08:00

After months of practicing, tonight at the gym...everything clicked! Tessa finally was able to land on her feet when she did a cartwheel! She has been trying so hard, and Taryn has been spotting her, they've been practicing at class....and finally! It worked! Now I'll have two girls that are upside down, more than they are rightside up!

Gymnastics show....

2008-12-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

The Girls had their Winter gymnastics show today! They both did a great job! Taryn performed with the level 4 recreational girls and will be trying out for the Level 4 competition team on January 2 (instead of December 8th).

Tessa and their cousin Christina both performed with the Level 1 recreational girls.
They all did great and each got a trophy and t-shirt for their hard work. We then celebrated by going out to dinner at Chili's (of course, it was a girls' day because the dads are in Vegas for the weekend!)

Tessa insisted that she wears big ribbons in her hair "all the time!" when Aunt Julie was getting her ready this afternoon! :)

Our Birthday Boy!

2008-12-04T21:12:00.000-08:00

Lordy, Lordy, look who's Forty!!!

Yep, the day has arrived! Brian is officially "over the hill!"(just kidding baby!)

We celebrated Brian's birthday last night. We went out for a nice dinner, then came home for cake that the girls made for him.

Today (his actual birthday), the real celebration began! He flew off to Vegas with several friends for four days in the Penthouse suite at the Palms Hotel & Casino. Should be quite a party!!! (too bad we girls were not invited).

For good luck, I got Brian this Ed Hardy t-shirt for the trip!

What Does Your Mouth Say About You?

2008-12-04T09:32:00.001-08:00

What People Think of Your Mouth

People see you as both genuine and spontaneous.

You really love life, and it shows. You are easy to get to know.

You tend to have a wide circle of friends, and many different interests.

While many people know you, no one can exactly figure you out.

What Does Your Mouth Say About You?

How cute is this?!

2008-12-01T22:34:00.001-08:00

This past Saturday, Tessa's BFF Hannah turned 3 and had a birthday party complete with Petting Zoo! Although all the animals were super cute, this is the one Tessa fell in LOVE with! I had to MAKE her come out to eat a couple of bites of pizza---then back to her bunny! She was so gentle with him, it was really adorable!

Thanksgiving fun!

2008-12-01T22:11:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving we spent the day at Brian's brother's house with his family. (No, that's not Brian's brother, it's one of Art's friends who joined us!)It was a very relaxing day and the kids had so much fun with their cousins, they both spent the night there too! (And were bummed when I came to pick them up the next afternoon!)

Now, it's on to the Christmas preparations!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T07:11:00.001-08:00

Kindergarten Feast

2008-11-26T10:36:00.001-08:00

How cute is this little pilgrim?! Tessa's class had their Thanksgiving feast at school this morning. I went in to help set up and help during the party. They had apple juice, oranges, apples and something like a chex mix. They were all really cute and had so much fun enjoying their snack!

The End of An Era!

2008-11-24T08:44:00.000-08:00

Well, I am sad to say that with each passing day I am reminded how quickly they grow! A few weeks ago Tessa came home from school and said, "Mommy, so-and-so asked me how come I have a Dora backpack and lunchbox". (you see where this is going?) She said, "I told him, I don't really like Dora anymore. I just have them from when I was in preschool. Can I get a new backpack and lunchbox?" I was so sad! Because it seemed to me that peer pressure was not to like something so babyish... So I talked to her about that if you like something, it's ok to say so, even if someone else doesn't! She told me that she just really didn't like Dora anymore! This coming from the girl who has LOVED Dora since she was about 1 1/2. Wanted EVERYTHING Dora, would choose to watch Dora over any other show! So, I played it off a few days...she asked again for a new backpack and lunchbox. So we ordered one and when they came in she was SO happy!

This past week, I decided to rearrange her room and sort through some stuff. I was going through and reorganizing her bookshelf when I came across all of her Dora books. So I said "So, Tessa do you want to keep these Dora books, or do you want to give them to Hannah?" I got her this time, right?! She says, "Give them to Hannah." No big deal, I'm done with them, don't need 'em anymore...very nonchallant about it. Ok...made a stack of books for Hannah. So last night, I figured this was the true test. "Tessa, if you don't want your Dora books anymore, do you want to keep the Dora DVDs or should we give those to Hannah too?" "Give 'em to Hannah."

Yep, it's official...as much as we want them to stay small...THEY DON'T! :(

So, Michelle...you have a big bag of books and DVDs coming your way! You still probably have a couple of years of use out of them. But don't expect it to last too long!

Well...kind of....

2008-11-19T06:13:00.000-08:00

My last post was that it was finally fall. Well, funny how things change in the desert! Yesterday we broke a record set in 1946 with a high of 86 degrees! It was still a beautiful day, but not nearly as "fallish" as the few days before. The air conditioner kicked on early afternoon and ran the rest of the day. But that's ok with me. I would prefer a "taste" of fall and winter over the real thing any day! :)

Finally Fall!

2008-11-11T22:13:00.000-08:00

At last, Fall has settled in the desert (at least for now)! The temperatures have finally dropped and it is so nice to have a little bit of crispness in the air! I am usually the last to complain about the heat...but pushing 100 in November is a bit much even for me! We are probably where most of you were about September--light jacket in the morning, to be stripped off in a few hours. I am really happy to open the windows and doors to let the freshness in! And even though it doesn't look any different (no fall colors), fall is definitely in the air! Aaaahhhh!

Another Exciting Weekend!

2008-11-10T20:22:00.001-08:00

This weekend we had an exciting, event filled weekend!

We started the weekend off with a visit from Ned, Kim, Brandon, Layton and Shanda for the evening Friday night. Justin also joined us for dinner, but then had to head off to work. The rest spent the night and we started Saturday off bright and early!

Justin joined us again, but this time just outside the Phoenix Zoo. We and some of Kim's other family and friends got together to participate in the 2008 MS Walk on the Wild Side. Phoenix's annual walk to raise funds for research and a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. Which Kim was diagnosed with a few years
ago. It was a great event which involved probably about 10,000 walkers! It was very inspiring and a great experience!

*************************************************

From the zoo, we headed over to Cave Creek Golf Course to watch our nephew Adam run in the 5A State Championship for Cross Country. Of nearly 400 runners, Adam came in 9th place! Along with his placement, a teammate in 3rd, and 2 more teammates in the top 25 placement his team of 7 runners won 1st place in the competition! We are very proud of Adam and his accomplishments! He has the National Meet in 2 weeks, and one more in CA 2 weeks after that---then he moves on to Track & Field! This is his senior year, and with his great times and determination we are really hopeful he will be offered some scholarships !

**************************************************************************************

Last, but not least---Sunday we celebrated my 38th birthday! Woohoo---only 2 years from 40!
(J.K., I'm not really celebrating that!) The girls brought me breakfast in bed and we all spent the morning together. After that, we did lunch at Oregano's (my pick) and picked up a boat load of movies to spend the day vegging in front of the TV! Just what I needed! It was a great day!
*************************************************************************************

Great News!

2008-11-07T07:32:00.000-08:00

My last post was about Taryn's exciting event on Saturday. Well...it gets better!

When she was at gymnastics on Wednesday night, her coach told her that she and 2 other girls from level 4 are invited to "try out" for the level 4 competition team on December 8th! She is very excited! He told her to be prepared because the team coaches are really hard on them during tryouts to see how tough they will be and how much they are willing to try... he told her most girls end up crying! That's not nice! :(

Not sure if he was trying to scare them, or prepare them. But, either way--she's tough and has wanted this for a long time, so we'll see how she does!

If she does make it, it's a huge commitment! 16 hours a week and the traveling to competitions! Because of this, I haven't really pushed it, but she continues to strive to make the team. So if she does, of course we will support her dream...as long as her education doesn't suffer in the process!

We are so proud of her accomplishment!!!

TarynThe Gymnast!

2008-11-05T07:24:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Taryn had a "critique" gymnastics meet. She is not yet on the competitive team, but this was a meet with judges to tell the level 3 and level 4 (she's level 4) gymnasts how they are doing and what they can do better.

She did great and won "best floor routine" for the level 4 girls! We are really proud of her accomplishment! She loves gymnastics and is becoming really good. She is hoping to try out for the level 4 competitive team in January!

Here is a video of her floor routine.

Halloween At Last

2008-11-04T12:42:00.001-08:00

Although Friday brought us temperatures of 97 degrees, Halloween finally arrived...and our final costume party of the year! Yipppeee! I'm done! :)
For Halloween we had Nick and Paula bring over Emerik and Anya and Art and Julianne came over with Christina for Trick-or-treating. Taryn's friend Callie also came with us. They all had a great time...and of course got WAY TOO MUCH candy!
When we were all done with the family stuff, Brian and I headed off to our friend's Randy and Rachelle's house...along with the crew below, for another costume party! There were tons of people and it was a great time!
Now on to the next set of holidays....

"Twas the Night Before Halloween

2008-11-04T12:23:00.000-08:00

'Twas the night before Halloween....
Usually we try to cram jack'o lantern carving in just before we go trick-or-treating. By the time we're finally dressed and ready to go, I am totally stressed out and wondering WHY I did that to myself...yet again!

Thursday after the girls got home from school we got homework and chores done, then started the annual carving.

Too many years, Brian has been on call or not home from work in time to do the carving...although when he is there, he is definately the MASTER CARVER!
I am more of a triangle eyes and nose kind of girl! lol. He gets very elaborate with the carving. So this year he was home early and did the carving with the girls.

While Brian and Taryn were working on the last pumpkin, Tessa and I sorted through the pumpkin seeds and toasted them up in the oven. The girls thought they were great and took them for their snack at school on Friday.

Costume Party #2

2008-10-29T08:28:00.001-07:00

This weekend we had another costume party...only one more to go! This one was with people from Brian's hospital.
There were some pretty great costumes. But when we arrived, since most don't know me they had a really hard time trying to figure out who Brian was! Once they did, it was worth a lot of laughs! Let me give you a closer look so you can see why he was so hard to recognize....

ARE YOU READY?!

Definately not the Brian we all know and love!

~Tessa's a Reader!~

2008-10-25T15:30:00.001-07:00

For several months now, anytime I am reading to Tessa she has been pointing to words that she knows within the text. She sees words she knows on signs and tells me what they are, and is spelling phonetically really well.

Being a kindergarten teacher, and knowing the process...I encourage her and read to her all the time (always have!) but haven't pushed!

On Wednesday, I opened her backpack to unload it when she got home from school. The usual things...lunch box (mostly still full), work that she had completed during the day....

wait....what's this?! A ziploc bag with a superstar reader letter and a book in it! Her teacher said she was ready to start reading. Anytime she can read the book to her teacher with less than three mistakes, she gets a new book to take home.
First time through....slow but only a couple of mistakes. Two more times through...no problems!
She's now on her third book and so happy and excited to be "reading"!

More pictures of our weekend

2008-10-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

Taryn with Marcy's horses.
Tessa and Layton on Grandpa's tractor.

Austin picking berries for his cobbler!
Grandpa Rhodes
Kim and Ned
Tina bringing us a new load of berries!
Me
Grandma Rhodes
Yes, we did have a great weekend!

~A Weekend on the Farm!~

2008-10-23T09:14:00.001-07:00

This past weekend my mom and dad invited us to come down to pick blueberries before they are gone at the next freeze. Every time Tessa knows she is going to see Grandma, she asks her if she will make her a blueberry pie (or cobbler). So Grandma wanted her to see what picking them was all about! Brian was on call this weekend, so unfortunately he wasn't able to go. Grandpa picked the bushes and brought them over to a big tarp for us to sit and pick the berries (much better than squatting in the patch!)

The girls started off strong!
. . . then Taryn decided she should be the "official photographer". Which is a good thing, because I ended up with way more pictures than I would have, had I been taking them myself!

Tessa kept picking. . . then she decided she needed a little break. She did come back. . .
UNTIL. . .

Taryn got out Grandpa's three wheeler!
She toted Tessa and Layton around in the trailer for most of the rest of the day!

Later in the day they discovered that where Grandpa has irrigated, and the dirt has dried---they can pull out "mud plates". Otherwise known as adobes! So they started gathering those in the back of the trailer and started to make a fort!

They also FINALLY got to meet Grandpa and Grandma's new neighbor...who rescues horses!
They fed and petted all of her horses.

Aunts, Uncles and Cousins came for the day, and Layton spent the night with the girls. They had a Fabulous weekend!

P.S. I don't know why the underline is there...but I can't get rid of it! lol

And She Waits.....

2008-10-14T09:23:00.001-07:00

Yesterday after school Tessa went out to do her "dog poop duty". She was out there for a very long time, so I looked out to see what she was up to.
She was out by the pool...and there she stood. She was posed like a marble statue that belonged in an English flower garden! Of course I thought "what is she doing"? Then I realized! It seems we've had a recent hatching of butterflies. She was out by the flowers, waiting for a butterfly to land on her hand again! I snuck up on her to get a picture. When she realized I was there, I asked her what she was doing (as if I didn't know!). She said "Mommy, I have tried EVERY pose, and the butterflies won't land on my hand! They just keep flying away!" That didn't stop her. She probably tried for close to two hours to catch a butterfly. She even got the pool net to try to catch one that was in the pool (dead!). She came running and screaming once she got out of the cold pool after she fell in in her attempt! Once we got the wet clothes off, she was back to her quest! But alas....no luck!

Power to the People!

2008-10-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend!

Friday my brother Ned and his wife Kim came up for a visit and the four of us left Taryn in charge of Tessa and Layton (their son) for the evening. We enjoyed a very nice dinner at Carlos Santana's, Maria, Maria restaurant...then we headed to Glendale for the Neil Diamond concert! I attended one of his concerts in '92 before Brian and I were married. For the other three it was a first. What a fantastic entertainer!!

Saturday night was our "wine tasting" group of friends and neighbors. We usually have 10-12 couples at someones house. This time, it was only 3 doors down...so Taryn got to "babysit" 2 nights in a row! She's actually really happy that we are allowing her to do that (and paying her too!)

Since it was so close to Halloween, this time the party had a twist! Everyone had to come in costume. We were quite a site to see let me tell you! We pretty much covered every decade since the 50s and threw in a few Roman's as well! As you can see, Brian and I were McCain and Obama! Although the masks were pretty cute, it was next to impossible to enjoy the wine through a straw and given my claustrophobia, the masks didn't last long!

Each wine tasting has a category. This month was American Merlot. The chosen best of our 11 wines was Columbia Crest (we have a $25 limit). So if your looking for something new, you might want to give this one a try! Cheers!

The Beauty of Nature!

2008-10-07T15:21:00.001-07:00

I wasn't planning on another post today...but this was so cute I had to add it! I went to pick Tessa up from school. On our way over to the truck Tessa said "look mommy a butterfly". It was sitting on the ground. She put her finger down in front of him, and he climbed right on. Literally did not try to fly AT ALL! She held him for a few minutes, and of course wanted to take him home. It took some convincing, but we put him on the flower of a nearby cactus.

It was but a brief moment of her day, but something so special I'm sure she will be talking about it for a very long time!

Thanks for the gentle reminder to stop and see Your beauty!

The Fruit of The Desert and Work of Human Hands

2008-10-07T08:11:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago my friend Paula and I decided to take on a task we haven't done for years...make "prickly pear" jelly!

For those of you not from the desert, prickly pears are a kind of cactus. A really spiny cactus I might add. Not only are there stickers on the cactus itself, but there are also very fine stickers on the fruit. So why would anyone mess with them?? We asked ourselves that too... but it was actually pretty fun!

The old fashioned way of doing it, was to pick the pears, burn the stickers off the fruit with flame, peel the fruit, cook down the fruit and run through a food mill, then make into jelly. NEW AND IMPROVED WAY:
1. Run the fruit through a juicer
2. strain the juice
3. make the juice into jelly or syrup.
MUCH EASIER!
Prickly pears have a very distinct taste unlike any other...although it is slightly similar to kiwi and maybe papaya mixed.... hard to describe. But they have an unbelievably beautiful magenta color! (That's why we juiced outside! Trust me, it was flying everywhere!)
We all had a part. Paula and I picked the fruit---with tongs! Put them in buckets to bring back to her house...then we juiced and strained and then we made the jelly and syrup.
Nick's job was to put the lids on and tighten them down after we poured it into the jars....a HOT job!

Brian's job????.....
Oh yeah....the Bronco's were playing!
(he did help keep an eye on the kids too!)

Overall, it was a great time. We made 48 half pints of jelly, pancake syrup and simple syrup for margaritas or martinis! And the kids had a great time playing while we did....
aaahhh...fun with friends! And something very yummy to remember it by!

NOT QUITE FALL YET!

2008-09-28T15:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's almost October...
but with temperatures still over 100 degrees every day, it's very hard to think it's fall! So, my blog will probably stay bright and cheery for a while, unless I just can't stand it anymore and have to change it to fall.

Although we Phoenicians sometimes wonder why we put up with the heat...come December, January, February when most of the rest of the country is suffering the elements, we'll remember why!

Friday night Tessa's BFF Hannah had her first "sleepover" at our house. The girls were planning it for a week. So by the time Friday finally rolled around, we mom's were about to pull our hair out! It's all we heard about for 6 days! "When is it going to be Friday?", "When is Hannah coming over?", "When am I going to Tessa's house?" Michelle and I decided next time, we're going to give them about an hours notice...for our own sanity! The girls had a great time of course, and though the pool is starting to cool off a little...decided to take a dip!

Our Sportslovers!

2008-09-28T15:36:00.001-07:00

Last Friday was a fun-filled day for the girls! It was "sports day" at the girls' school. Taryn and a friend decided to show their "Bronco pride" by wearing matching Bronco's shirts. Tessa showed some local support by wear a Phoenix Coyotes hockey jersey (the girly version of course)!

Half-time performance at the Red Mountian Highschool football game!

Taryn and her friends Danielle and Allie after their performance!

Friday night Taryn and a couple of friends participated in a fund raising event for our local high school's cheer squad. Thursday night they learned a dance routine and several cheers. Then Friday night at the football game they got to cheer with the cheerleaders on the sidelines and do their dance out on the field at halftime! They had a great time and Tessa can't wait to do it with them next year! (trust me...that was an issue!) lol

Welcome!

2008-09-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Estavillo family blog! I have several friends who have these set up, and it's a really nice way to keep up on what they have going on. I decided it can't be that difficult! So, it may start out basic, but it's a start!

About a month ago the girls started back to school!
Taryn is in 6th grade (unbelievable!) and Tessa is in all day kindergarten!(even more unbelievable!) They both love their teachers and are really liking school!

The Estavillo Family

It's Official!

Wordless Wednesday! (NOT)

Easter 2010

Spring Break Project

Tessa Turns 7!

Arizona Aloha Festival

Free to the first 5!

Praying for Stellan

My latest venture...

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Easter!

Relay Results! (Really, this time!)

Rallying for Relay For Life!

Tessa's 6th Birthday!

Wordless Wednesday (a day late)

Spring Break Craft Day

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

A Day At The Arboretum

Tooth #2!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Tessa Loses Her First Tooth!

My Best Buy Experience!

Our Latest Pets

Proud of our Team!

Go Cardinals! Part II

Wacky Hair Day!

Aaahh, getting ready for Tax Season!

Go Cardinals!

My Dad, the "Rock Star"!

Why we live in Arizona . . .

Tessa's Favorite Christmas Present!

Down With Mother's Guilt

Praying for Abby

A Day In The Snow!

Taryn Turns 12!!

New Years Celebration!

Taryn is awesome BECAUSE I SAID SO !!!

Happy New Year!

Christmas Slide Show

Catching up!

The Girls Finally See Santa!

Taryn's Performance At the Mall

Check this out Moms!

WoooHooo! Tessa Got Her Cartwheel

Gymnastics show....

Our Birthday Boy!

What Does Your Mouth Say About You?

How cute is this?!

Thanksgiving fun!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kindergarten Feast

The End of An Era!

Well...kind of....

~~Finally Fall!~~

Another Exciting Weekend!

Great News!

Taryn~~The Gymnast!~~

Halloween At Last

"Twas the Night Before Halloween

Costume Party #2

~Tessa's a Reader!~

*More pictures of our weekend*

~A Weekend on the Farm!~

And She Waits.....

Power to the People!

The Beauty of Nature!

The Fruit of The Desert and Work of Human Hands

NOT QUITE FALL YET!

Our Sportslovers!

Welcome!

Finally Fall!

TarynThe Gymnast!

More pictures of our weekend